Aflatoxins contamination risks in Pharmaceuticals

Aflatoxin contamination risks in pharmaceuticals

Aflatoxins are naturally occurring fungal metabolites. They are highly toxic compounds and can cause both acute and chronic toxicity in humans and many other animals. Aflatoxins are carcinogenic and genotoxic, they can associated with liver cancer.Aflatoxin is naturally occurring mycotoxin produced mainly by two types of mould, Aspergillus flavus and aspergillus parasiticus. These causative organisms can grow on crops such as peanuts,wheat,corn,beans and rice. Aspergillus flavus is common and wide spread in nature. The occurrence of aflatoxin is influenced by certain environmental  factors, hence the extent of contamination will vary with geographical location. At least 13 different types of aflatoxins are produced in nature with aflatoxin B1,which is considered as most toxic.There are 4 major aflatoxins B1,B2,G1 & G2.The B series contain a cyclopentone ring,instead of a D lactone ring in the G series,this difference being responsible for higher toxicity of B series. Aflatoxin is  recognized as an important food safety risk worldwide, even though it’s potential risks with regards to pharmaceutical industry cannot be ruled out.

Important Facts to Remember……. ·       Aflatoxin, produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on crops such as maize, peanuts, and tree nuts, are ubiquitous contaminates of the human food supply throughout the economically developing world. ·       Aflatoxin exposures multiplicatively increase the risk of liver cancer. ·       The adverse health consequences of aflatoxins in populations are quite varied, eliciting acute effects, such as rapid death, and chronic outcomes, such as hepatocellular carcinoma.

Complete Response letter (CRL)

Complete Response letter (CRL)

When the USFDA declines to approve an application, it informs the drug company through a complete response letter. These letters systematically document deficiencies that FDA reviewers have identified.

USFDA will send the applicant a complete response letter if the agency determines that they will not approve the application or abbreviated application in its present form for one or more of the reasons given in § 314.125 or § 314.127, respectively.

 (1) Description of specific deficiencies. A complete response letter will describe all of the specific deficiencies that the agency has identified in an application or abbreviated application.

(2) Complete review of data. A complete response letter reflects FDA's complete review of the data submitted in an original application or abbreviated application (or, where appropriate, a resubmission) and any amendments that the agency has reviewed. The complete response letter will identify any amendments that the agency has not yet reviewed.

(3) Inadequate data. If FDA determines, after an application is filed or an abbreviated application is received, that the data submitted are inadequate to support approval, the agency might issue a complete response letter without first conducting required inspections and/or reviewing proposed product labeling.

(4) Recommendation of actions for approval. When possible, a complete response letter will recommend actions that the applicant might take to place the application or abbreviated application in condition for approval.

(b) Applicant actions. After receiving a complete response letter, the applicant must take one of following actions:

(1) Resubmission. Resubmit the application or abbreviated application, addressing all deficiencies identified in the complete response letter.

(i) A resubmission of an application or efficacy supplement that FDA classifies as a Class 1 resubmission constitutes an agreement by the applicant to start a new 2-month review cycle beginning on the date FDA receives the resubmission.

(ii) A resubmission of an application or efficacy supplement that FDA classifies as a Class 2 resubmission constitutes an agreement by the applicant to start a new 6-month review cycle beginning on the date FDA receives the resubmission.

(iii) A resubmission of an NDA supplement other than an efficacy supplement constitutes an agreement by the applicant to start a new review cycle the same length as the initial review cycle for the supplement (excluding any extension due to a major amendment of the initial supplement), beginning on the date FDA receives the resubmission.

(iv) A major resubmission of an abbreviated application constitutes an agreement by the applicant to start a new 6-month review cycle beginning on the date FDA receives the resubmission.

(v) A minor resubmission of an abbreviated application constitutes an agreement by the applicant to start a new review cycle beginning on the date FDA receives the resubmission.

(2) Withdrawal. Withdraw the application or abbreviated application. A decision to withdraw an application or abbreviated application is without prejudice to a subsequent submission.

(3) Request opportunity for hearing. Ask the agency to provide the applicant an opportunity for a hearing on the question of whether there are grounds for denying approval of the application or abbreviated application under section 505(d) or (j)(4) of the act, respectively. The applicant must submit the request to the Associate Director for Policy, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20993. Within 60 days of the date of the request for an opportunity for a hearing, or within a different time period to which FDA and the applicant agree, the agency will either approve the application or abbreviated application under § 314.105, or refuse to approve the application under § 314.125 or abbreviated application under § 314.127 and give the applicant written notice of an opportunity for a hearing under § 314.200 and section 505(c)(1)(B) or (j)(5)(c) of the act on the question of whether there are grounds for denying approval of the application or abbreviated application under section 505(d) or (j)(4) of the act, respectively.

(c) Failure to take action.

(1) An applicant agrees to extend the review period under section 505(c)(1) or (j)(5)(A) of the act until it takes any of the actions listed in paragraph (b) of this section. For an application or abbreviated application, FDA may consider an applicant's failure to take any of such actions within 1 year after issuance of a complete response letter to be a request by the applicant to withdraw the application, unless the applicant has requested an extension of time in which to resubmit the application. FDA will grant any reasonable request for such an extension. FDA may consider an applicant's failure to resubmit the application within the extended time period or to request an additional extension to be a request by the applicant to withdraw the application.

(2) If FDA considers an applicant's failure to take action in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this section to be a request to withdraw the application, the agency will notify the applicant in writing. The applicant will have 30 days from the date of the notification to explain why the application should not be withdrawn and to request an extension of time in which to resubmit the application. FDA will grant any reasonable request for an extension. If the applicant does not respond to the notification within 30 days, the application will be deemed to be withdrawn.

                

Important Facts to Remember……. ·       Complete response letters will only be issued for applications that are not approved (A Complete Response Letter informs companies that an application is not ready for approval). ·       A complete response letter (CRL) from the FDA delays a product’s entry to the market by an average of 14 months. Companies that receive the letters take an average of seven months just to respond to them. ·       With limited exceptions, the public does not receive a full account of the FDA’s reasons for disapproval because complete response letters are part of unapproved applications that FDA regulations generally treat as confidential. ·       CRL is  designed to help reduce the number of ANDA review cycles, which has significantly decreased the efficiency of the ANDA review and approval process. ·        Agency's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) issues the CRL at the end of review process.